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US – New Yorkers will have to wait for sports betting bill

By - 22 June 2018

New Yorkers will have to wait to bet on sporting events as state legislators missed out on an opportunity to approve new law before the end of the current legislative session.

Sports betting bills were up for consideration in both the Senate and the Assembly but with neither making it through New York will now have to wait until the next session in January 2019.

Republican Senator John Bonacic said: “The Assembly did not have sufficient votes to move the bill. There was just no appetite for gaming.”

There is a piece of legislation enacted in 2013 that offers some hope as it allows the four state-run casinos to offer sports betting. These would be Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, Resorts World Catskills near Monticello, del Lago Resort & Casino in the Finger Lakes and Tioga Downs in the Southern Tier.

Ron Ochrym, Executive Director of New York’s State Gaming Commission, said he was optimistic that sports betting could be approved under existing law.

He said: “Commission staff have long been working on regulations that would effectuate sports gambling under the existing statutory language. Staff anticipates being able to provide a draft for your review in the near term.”
Sports betting is already available in New Jersey and Delaware. Pennsylvania and West Virginia aren’t far behind as new laws have been passed whilst Rhode Island is waiting for a governor’s signature. Massachusetts and Connecticut are also now considering legalising sports betting.

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